The present invention relates to hair clipper bladesets, and more specifically to blade guides used for maintaining alignment between a moving blade and a stationary blade of a clipper bladeset.
In conventional bladesets used in electric hair clipping devices such as hair clippers, trimmers and the like, referred to generally and collectively here as hair clippers, a moving blade is caused to laterally reciprocate relative to a stationary blade to provide a scissors-like cutting action between corresponding and opposing rows of teeth on each blade. The moving blade is usually attached to a blade guide for maintaining alignment between blades during operation. In most cases, the blade guide reciprocates in a transverse track in an upper surface of the stationary blade.
To reduce operational noise, blade guides are typically made of plastic. Conventional blade guides are subject to dimensional change due to plastic creep after extended use due to the properties of the plastic used in their fabrication. Also, the configuration of conventional guides does not adequately resist the torque of the moving blade relative to the stationary blade, such that the respective edges of the two blades become misaligned at the extremities of the blade stroke. This misalignment, also referred to as fishtailing of the moving blade, can in some cases result in pinching or pulling of the skin of the person whose hair is being cut.
Another drawback of conventional blade guides is that the plastic does not adjust well to variations in manufacturing tolerances of the stationary blade. Specifically, a transverse groove or track is cut into the stationary blade and forms the location in which the guide reciprocates during normal clipper operation. If the guide is too tight in the track, the clipper speed will be reduced and component wear accelerated. Alternately, if the guide is too loose in the track, fishtailing and other misalignment is increased. Wear of the plastic guide over time, as well as material creep, have also been known to increase the chance of fishtailing.